Frankly in Love

Frankly in Love is a coming-of-age novel written by David Yoon and published in 2019 by Penguin Young Readers, Putnam. The story revolves around Frank Li, a Korean American teenager torn between his American identity and the traditional expectations of his Korean parents. With its engaging storyline and exploration of cultural identity, Frankly in Love tackles themes of love, family expectations, and self-discovery. David Yoon’s writing skillfully portrays the complexities of Frank’s experiences as he grapples with his dual identity. The novel offers a heartfelt and humorous examination of the pressures of immigrant children caught between understanding their heritage and developing their own identity. It was a New York Times bestseller, a William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist, and was selected by Time as one of the 100 Best YA Books of All Time.

Content Warning: Frankly in Love includes racism and racist encounters. It also mentions an armed robbery and depicts panic attacks.

Plot Summary

Frank Li is an American child of Korean immigrants who is beginning to navigate his first relationships with girls, while also confronting the expectations of his parents to preserve the family’s Korean traditions. A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age story, Frankly in Love explores Frank’s burgeoning identity as he comes to terms with his family dynamics, cultural heritage, and understanding of racial identity in America.

The novel opens at the beginning of Frank Li’s senior year. Anxious about finishing high school without ever having had a girlfriend, he is conflicted about the prospect of dating at all. His parents expect him to date a Korean girl. His older sister, Hanna, fell in love with and married a Black man, and their parents cut her off for it. Frank’s fear of being rejected by his parents has caused him to hold off from pursuing romance. When Frank realizes that a white girl, Brit Means, is interested in him, he begins a romance with her without his parents’ knowledge.

Frank’s parents work every day, including holidays, at The Store—a convenience store which they inherited from another Korean couple. Frank spends Sundays working at The Store to spend more time with his father before leaving for college. At school, Frank is close to the Apeys group, students in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Frank’s best friend is Q, a Black boy who frequently hosts Frank at his house. Because of Frank’s parents’ racism, Frank doesn’t invite Q over to his own house as often.

Frank’s parents attend monthly Gatherings with other families from South Korea. Frank enjoys these Gatherings because they allow him and other children who feel stuck between their American and Korean identities to talk. These children have even created a name for themselves: The Limbos. At the Gatherings, Frank begins to reconnect with Joy Song, a childhood friend, and they discuss their parents’ racism and their own hidden relationships. Joy is dating a Chinese American classmate, Wu Tang, whom she keeps hidden from her parents. Frank and Joy resolve their relationship issues by agreeing to fake a relationship in front of their parents, while respectively dating Brit and Wu.

Hoping to slowly introduce Brit to his family without acknowledging their relationship, Frank prepares for a backyard barbeque with the Apeys. Brit arrives, and Frank introduces her to his mother; Brit charms her way into helping his mother with preparations. Joy shows up unexpectedly, and Frank tries to handle the situation. However, Brit admits she knows Frank’s mother prefers Joy to her. Fearful of how Brit would handle his fake relationship with Joy, Frank continues to hide it from her.

As their secret relationship progresses, Frank and Brit go on a date to a pop-up museum. While picking up Brit, Frank realizes the difference in openness with Brit’s parents. At the museum, they unexpectedly run into Joy and Wu. Frank and Brit continue their date and exchange their first "I love you.” After the date, Frank receives a text from Joy asking for a ride home. Joy tells Frank about her troubled relationship with Wu, who is dissatisfied by the way she keeps him hidden from her family. However, this interaction is interrupted when Frank’s mother calls and informs him that his father has been shot and is in the hospital.

Frank and Joy go to the hospital together. Frank’s father was shot in the lung during a store robbery, and Frank suffers a panic attack upon realizing how close his father came to death. Q and Joy stay at the hospital with Frank to comfort him, and he texts his sister Hanna, expressing his love for her for the first time. After his father is discharged from the hospital, Frank goes to school with Q and sees Brit; he tries to make an excuse as to why he didn’t tell her about his father, not wanting to admit he went to the hospital with Joy. He realizes he can’t be open with Brit, and that their love for each other is not the same. The next day, Frank and Q study for the SAT at Q’s house. They have a deep conversation about race, and Frank realizes the similarities and differences in their experiences.

When Frank attends a wedding with Joy, he realizes his strong, growing feelings for her. They share their love for each other and kiss, but their moment is interrupted by fireworks, with everyone witnessing their first kiss. When Frank confesses to the kiss, Brit finally pieces together his fake relationship with Joy and runs off, angry and hurt. Frank and Joy’s relationship blossoms, and they attend a Korean festival together, where Frank feels connected to his culture for the first time. He starts to talk to his father about his early experiences as an immigrant.

During one of the Gatherings, an argument breaks out between Frank and Joy’s fathers. After the Gathering, Frank’s mother reveals that his father has cancer, and Frank experiences another panic attack as he comes to grips with his father’s mortality. Frank and Joy decide to keep their relationship a secret for the time being, due to the tension between their families.

The students are enjoying their senior year and receiving college admissions letters. However, Frank begins to experience tension in his relationship with Joy, after a date goes poorly due to racist encounters and other mishaps. After graduation, Joy and Q celebrate in public with their families, while Frank returns home to spend precious time with his parents. Eventually, Joy decides to end their secret relationship, leaving Frank heartbroken.

Before leaving for college, Joy apologizes to Frank. They express their love for each other but know their relationship has come to its conclusion. Frank and Joy’s communication slows down as they adjust to their new lives. Frank shares a farewell with his father and receives his blessing, as his father describes his happiness and satisfaction with the life he’s lived.

Frank prepares for college life at Stanford. He stops at a burned forest and leaves his Tascam recording device on. The final section, “after we end,” describes Frank’s return home for his father’s funeral. Everyone attends, including Joy, who kisses him, but he does not return the gesture—as their romance has ended. Frank returns to Stanford, knowing he will continue to live life as himself.